We are witnessing the demise of the NFL before our eyes. There are several posters on this message board who might well write several paragraphs on this subject. Once we start down that "path"...there is no stopping.

I hope this gets some serious airtime on TV. It needs to be looked at. It'll get appealed obviously but it never should have made it to a fine in the first place.

I understand the flag by a penalty happy quarterback protecting ref in a bang bang play. I hate it, but I get it. The fact the league can sit down and look at it and say this deserves a fine is a travesty.

It sends the wrong message to defenders and it teaches nothing to Earl. Just a complete joke.

Everyone should have been up in arms about *SB XL, instead we got dirtbag Stealers fans trying to rub the *win in our face. Now Goodell should be apologizing for the ridiculous penalty, but instead hits ET with a fine.

While normally I'd never be one to say this, but we need to spread the word a bit to media folks on twitter to make sure it gets media attention. It probably won't, but the NFL needs to be embarrassed by this.

The continued "pussification" of the game, ungodly expensive game tickets/concessions/parking, over priced merchandise . . .

Goodell is the worst thing to happen to the league in a long, long time. He's a joke.

I actually side with Goodell on a lot of the measures to better protect players. It is inherently a violent sport, and I do agree that players should be better protected than they were in the 70's, 80's and 90's.. but this fine is ridiculous.

Agree with you on the pricing though. It's beyond ridiculous. You forgot to mention his Thursday Night Football package which is going to feature every team in the league in prime-time and on a short week to boot! Nothing says quality programming like the Jaguars and Titans at 8:30 ET on a short week. WOO!

Doubt the NFL hits that "big big fall" as in America it is the king sport and the NBA/NHL/MLB aren't likely to change that any time soon as they each have a lot of problems in their own right.. but yeah..

The continued "pussification" of the game, ungodly expensive game tickets/concessions/parking, over priced merchandise . . .

Goodell is the worst thing to happen to the league in a long, long time. He's a joke.

No they wont lol. Thats the sad part. They can do whatever they want and people like you and me will still watch every game

Soooo...we are are to test the "boil a frog theory"? Eventually, we end up with "glorified flag football" ....and we still pay $70 a seat to watch?

Ok I mean football is still played 99% the same way it was when Goodell came into power. Hes made relatively minor changes that havent really affected the game to any sort of meaningful degree. Let me know when he does (which he wont, everyone knows the money involved in the NFL) and Ill begin to believe we might end up with "glorified flag football."

therealjohncarlson wrote:Ok I mean football is still played 99% the same way it was when Goodell came into power. Hes made relatively minor changes that havent really affected the game to any sort of meaningful degree. Let me know when he does (which he wont, everyone knows the money involved in the NFL) and Ill begin to believe we might end up with "glorified flag football."

therealjohncarlson wrote:Ok I mean football is still played 99% the same way it was when Goodell came into power. Hes made relatively minor changes that havent really affected the game to any sort of meaningful degree. Let me know when he does (which he wont, everyone knows the money involved in the NFL) and Ill begin to believe we might end up with "glorified flag football."

Relatively minor changes...??

Wow.

On a big picture level, yes. Extremely minor changes. The game is still played almost exactly the same. The kickoff moving in 10 yards is the biggest change I can think of him making, which barely changes the game at all except for creating fewer returns.

Aros wrote:I predict - if this continues - that my 37-year love affair with the NFL will be over within ten years.

Ditto, only for me it's a 48 year love affair.....Didn't I read somewhere on these boards that Kurt Warner thought it didn't even deserve a penalty flag? That from a former QB that was the (alleged) subject of a bounty being placed on him by the 'Aints.

IBleedBlueAndGreen wrote:Next time Earl should just crush the quarterback. He's gonna get fined if he touches him anyways, might as well try and knock the crap out of the quarterback.

Gotta' agree. It's one thing to blow the call in game, but to fine him $15K after the fact and essentially saying "Yep, it's the right call" is crazy. So if you're getting flagged and fined whether you deliver a massive hit, or you hold up your momentum and gently tap them, you might as well knock them out of the game.

IBleedBlueAndGreen wrote:Next time Earl should just crush the quarterback. He's gonna get fined if he touches him anyways, might as well try and knock the crap out of the quarterback.

Gotta' agree. It's one thing to blow the call in game, but to fine him $15K after the fact and essentially saying "Yep, it's the right call" is crazy. So if you're getting flagged and fined whether you deliver a massive hit, or you hold up your momentum and gently tap them, you might as well knock them out of the game.

This is a valid point, if you get fined regardless (not that I'm advocating doing that, but I can see someone following that logic)...

...so does INTENT come into this at all or is it all 100% end result here (it's seeming that way so far). I didn't watch that play closely (bathroom break or whatever) so didn't really notice, but was Earl accurate when saying it was basically gravity and he FELL into him, or was there anything anyone saw that seemed that there was some sort of intent to hit him in the head?

IBleedBlueAndGreen wrote:Next time Earl should just crush the quarterback. He's gonna get fined if he touches him anyways, might as well try and knock the crap out of the quarterback.

Gotta' agree. It's one thing to blow the call in game, but to fine him $15K after the fact and essentially saying "Yep, it's the right call" is crazy. So if you're getting flagged and fined whether you deliver a massive hit, or you hold up your momentum and gently tap them, you might as well knock them out of the game.

Seriously. The only lesson I'm getting from this is that if you're going to collide with them, make it count 'cause you're screwed either way.

Tru2RedNGold25 wrote:Us as Niners fan have every right to rep Niners all day everyday when we have the hardware to back it up do can u guys say that???

What happened is he jumps up (and not a straight up jump but towards the qb) and is airborne with arms up when the pass gets thrown. As he comes down he brings down both arms to cushion the blow (this is how it looks to me). So his arms / forearms make contact with the qb's helmet but it is clearly in an attempt to avoid the hit / not go helmet to helmet - a reaction just like protection yourself when falling on the ground.

So some idiot over at NFL maybe watched the one second impact and said - hands to the helmet fine him........

I get the flag. It's technically within the rules, but you are opening Pandora's Box if you try to mix intent in the players' hits. So, Thomas was trying to make a play, and yea, it sometimes happens.

Like others have said, I think it's just plain said that the NFL comes and out tries to fine Thomas for it. Ludicrous.

I also get that the NFL has to make these changes. We all hate it, but they are in the middle of a very huge class action law suit with a bunch of former players suing the league for not taking this action on their watch, now that medical science has figured out the damaging cumulative effects of concussions on the human brain.

I have a feeling that if the NFL wins this lawsuit, we might see some of this ticky tack stuff go by the wayside. The NFL is always going to over protect the QBs since it is a QB driven league, and the quality of the product is much better with all the starting QBs in playing.

The fine is total BS. Basically re-affirms refs can throw a flag for anything.

Bigpumpkin wrote:We are witnessing the demise of the NFL before our eyes. There are several posters on this message board who might well write several paragraphs on this subject. Once we start down that "path"...there is no stopping.

Sadly, I think you are right. Makes it pointless to even build a defense anymore. While my love for the seahawks has increased, I am becoming less of a fan of the NFL overall.

falcongoggles wrote:This is ludicrous. Ridiculously ludicrous. I feel like the first dominoes are falling in my breakup with the NFL. Sad really

Amen. This is why I watch way more college ball these days. The NFL has too many damn rules. No hits to the head, no hits below the knees, roughing the QB, pass interference a spotted foul, etc. In college they let them play more and the defense gets away with more. Its just more balanced. The pro's is more geared to supplement the offenses and give the offenses an advantage. When is the last time you saw an offensive player called for helmet to helmet, face mask, or the rarely called pass interference? You can't tell me the offensive players don't committ those fouls too.

Pretty sad they still went and fined him for it. There's something wrong with the process. Anybody have a .gif of the "hit"? It was like the least malicious thing ever.

ok good people this is where you explain to me how the NFL is NOT trying to push the niners into the superbowl and hold back any team that poses a threat, drug tests? fines? sure I'm just paranoid.. lol

I've seen way worse hits from niners that didn't even draw a flag..

gonna say it again, "the league is a JOKE in terms of officiating and rules"

there's a huge problem with the officiating and penalties especially when it comes to CONSISTENCY!!!

but just be quiet about it people, sit down like good little sheep and ignore the corruption and bias, after all its good for you.